Kerala is a paradise for nature lovers. The rich greenery in Kerala makes it home to a number of birds and animals. There are a number of natural parks and wildlife sanctuaries that make it one of the most important wildlife destinations.

One of the famous destinations during a trip to Kerala is the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a part of the Wynad Plateau and is famous for its tigers and leopards and many other wild animals. The sanctuary is an extension of the Bandipur National Park at the Southern border. The region is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve which was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1973. Two districts of Kerala come under the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is connected with the other important places in Kerala through a good network of roads. The Southwest monsoon, from the months of June to September, has a great influence on the climate of the region. The Northeast monsoon during the months of October and November also bring in a lot of rain.

The last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests consists of the Silent Valley. It is perhaps the only vestige of a virgin forest in the whole of the Western forests. The animals that are found here are elephants, tigers, wild dogs, flying squirrel and lion tailed macaque.

Thattekad bird sanctuary is a peninsular land of 25 sq.km between the branches of the River Periyar. The rivers are shallow for most of the year. The rivers have a rich fish life and the avifauna includes resting indigenous birds and water birds. The variety of indigenous birds include Malabar grey hornbill, grey jungle fowl, heron, egret, jungle myna, woodpecker, rose winged and blue winged parakeet. The rare birds include Ceylon frog mouth, rose billed roller etc.